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Moving forward
Hey all, this has probably been mentioned elsewhere, but I have only started playing this last couple of weeks and am currently working through the 30 Days to play. What I want to know is, at what level do you feel confident to say you have completed each stage? I am still working on Guitar basics with the Blues and I can play along at the same speed as the ‘Play’ video although I still regularly miss strings or don’t get onto the string or miss a picking string. Should I be getting to a level where this pretty much never happens or is the current speed/accuracy I am at enough to say I can move on? Love to know your thoughts.
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7 Replies
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Hi @Rob_NZ and welcome to TAC. You can take as little or as much time needed in the 30 days to play, but let me make a few comments and suggestions. I wouldn’t get hung up on a lesson for too long, because you’ll never move forward if you are shooting for perfection. We strive for continuous progress not perfection.
I would say spend a minimum of 10 minutes per day practicing, with emphasis on proper form (fretting, picking, etc). Don’t make speed your priority or goal, until you’ve gotten the foundation down. Mark a lesson complete after youve given it your best for at least 10 minutes. You can still work on it, but you are free to move on too. You can always revisit any of the lessons anytime you want. I went back through them all after completing the course, and I was amazed at how much better I could then play them.
Take a week to go through a section, and then move onto the next one.
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Thanks Loraine.
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Lorraine is correct. But here is the rub. Once I moved past the 30th day I feel like I should do it all over again at a faster pace. I give myself an a for my effort but only a c + for accuracy. The 5 day challenges are fine on day 1-3 at day 4&5 clearly need to be far better.
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I think I am in the A for effort C+ for accuracy camp with you :), although my accuracy is certainly notciably improving which is encouraging.
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My question is after the 30 day and 5 day practice session where should you go? I’ve certainly not mastered either of the courses and one cord I just can’t seam to do with my fingers. So do I keep working on them or move to something different?
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I would do the Daily Challenge, and then peruse the classes, and whatever catches your eye, you can give a tr. I took the jUmpstart to fingerpicking, flatpicking and strumming courses after the 30 days to play. It’s your journey, so you can go several directions.
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In addition to consistency, working on stuff outside of your comfort zone is one of the key aspects of TAC. I’m sure at this stage everything feels like it’s outside of your comfort zone, because you don’t even have one yet. That’s actually a good thing! That’s why it’s recommended to mark a lesson complete after you’ve spent at least 10 min. working on it. By constantly challenging yourself to learn new things it keeps you from getting in a rut and gives you a variety of skills. It isn’t necessary or desirable even to perfect a lesson. Also, I know it’s hard, but stop grading yourself. These are the only things you should be grading yourself on: Did you show up? Did you try your best for 10 min.? Did you improve as you practiced? Did you have fun? Mark Complete. Move on. Next lesson. Repeat.
What people don’t realize is that even when it doesn’t feel like you’re making progress, you are. Stacking day upon day upon day upon day adds up. It’s not only physical, it’s also mental. Your brain needs time to assimilate what you’re trying to do physically. Then suddenly that thing that you couldn’t play (F chord, barre chord, finger picking pattern, etc.), that you spent so much time on, is easy. Best of all, it’s easy from now on. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. That’s never the goal. Did you show up? Did you try your best for 10 min.? Did you improve as you practiced? Did you have fun? Mark Complete. Move on. Next lesson. Repeat. It really is that simple.
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